Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Pan Pacific Orchard's "Plates of Pleasure" Buffet

I am always on the lookout for nice, relaxing places for brunch (or tea, or dinner, or supper...oh, food should always be eaten in a relaxing environment, don't you agree?).

So we came to the quiet side of Orchard Road one Sunday, to the Pan Pacific Orchard (I still think of it as the 'former Negara Hotel' despite all the changes and refurbishments).

The all-day dining restaurant here, 10 at Claymore, has introduced “Plates of Pleasure – Our Greatest Hits” where they present unlimited servings of star dishes a la minute on top of their regular buffet spread. Every two or three months, the star dishes change.

How do I even begin to describe the wantonly bold and complex flavours of this dish? I normally do not like Penang laksa due to its sour notes, and my hubby simply hates Penang food in general, but we both adored this. Suddenly all the tastes (seafood, sweet, salty, tangy, herbal) go together and make sense.

Another winner! Look at the beautiful broth. And that generous dollop of chili paste on the spoon really adds a fiery punch that makes the dish come alive. Not much in way of crispy pork belly, just a few thin slices, but it's still all good.

I had a chat with the chef and it turns out the executive chef, and two or three other chefs at least are all from Penang. They decided to cook things their way. No wonder.

It is such a pity that these dishes are not on the regular menu. They really should be. Maybe if enough people demand it?

Basically standard international fare that were no match for the Penang specialties.

There are two kinds of oysters - Canadian and French - freshly shucked on demand. Very briny. The usual seafood on ice is also available (mussels, scallops, crustacean claws) but I seem to have gone off cold seafood.

Hot mains at buffets are rarely the highlight. They are largely good as fillers, but who knows there may be a lucky dish there that catches your fancy.

A small selection of Japanese items, and New Zealand cheeses with breads.

Desserts are probably the best offering here. We had a lychee shortcake which proved a most interesting alternative to the usual strawberry one. There's also warm chocolate pudding and Kapiti ice cream for the taking.

What you must not miss is the live crepe station. Oh, freshly made and crispy, topped with ripe bananas and drizzled with honey. It's so simple but so good.

This rendition of Plates of Pleasure buffet is available until 30 April 2012.

Price :
S$52++ (dinner)
S$55++ (Sunday brunch)

Children aged 2-12 years old are charged at $27.50++ (free flow of juices).

Search Flights and Hotels

City

Check-in

Check-out

Guests

Rooms

Search & Compare 700 Travel Sites!

From

To

Cabin Class

Search & Compare 700 Travel Sites!

I'm Catherine Ling

What's "Camemberu"? It's the way the Japanese pronounce Camembert, the French cheese. First saw it in an anime series and it just stuck in my mind. It's such a huge leap for the Japanese to fall in love with stinky cheese, something so far removed from their own cuisine, but they have embraced it well. That's the spirit of adventure!

Yes, I unabashedly love all things Japanese - the food, culture, people and spirit. Foodwise, they often add their own twist to something foreign and create something totally phenomenal.

My Email

All photos and text copyright reserved unless indicated otherwise. Have a query or see a photo you'd like to use? Just email me - camemberu (at) gmail dot com. Please credit the photo to camemberu.com and link back.

Meanwhile, いただきます！Enjoy browsing and leave me a comment if you know of great places to eat and see!